Guides: Copyright Law Research Guide: Organizations

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Introduction

Since copyright law is so central to our information economy, both public and private organizations are involved in the political, legislative, and judicial process as it relates to copyright law and policy. The following list provides links to some of the most active organizations in the copyright field.

Government

U.S. Copyright Office
A breakdown of some of the most useful resources on the Copyright Office's website can be found on the Introduction Page of this guide.
U.S. Department of Justice, Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section
Enforces intellectual property law and works to improve IP protections
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
WIPO is an international organization of member states that administers 23 treaties, including the WIPO Copyright Treaty.
Congressional Committees
Legislative authority for copyright matters may vest in any of four Congressional committees. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on the Judiciary have primary legislative jurisdiction over intellectual property issues. Occasionally, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will handle copyright legislation if it also involves interstate commerce. Scroll to the bottom of the Proposed Legislation box for links to each committee's website.

Industry Groups: Entertainment & Media

American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)
ASCAP is one of the major American organizations that collects music performance royalties on behalf of recording artists, songwriters, and performers.
Association of American Publishers (AAP)
AAP is the principal trade association for the book publishing industry.
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Like ASCAP, BMI is a performing rights organization that collects music performance royalties on behalf of recording artists, songwriters, and performers.
Future of Music Coalition
The coalition seeks to develop equitable policy initiatives across music and technology.
Harry Fox Agency (National Music Publishers Association)
Harry Fox collects licensing royalties on behalf of music publishers.
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) MPAA
The principal trade association of the film industry.
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
RIAA is the principal trade association of the record industry.
Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC)
Although it is smaller than both ASCAP or BMI, SESAC is the third music performing rights organization in the United States.

Library Associations

Library associations often have legislative advocacy offices that are active with regards to copyright issues.

American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)
AALL is the trade association for law libraries in universities, law firms, businesses, and municipalities.
American Library Association (ALA)
ALA is the largest library representative organization in the country and focuses on public and school libraries.
Association of Research Libraries (ARL)
ARL is the principal trade association for North America's leading research libraries in universities and other nationally significant institutions.
Special Libraries Association (SLA)
SLA represents the interests of libraries that are in corporate environments, with some presence in academic and government libraries.

Computers & Technology

See Other Groups & Resources, below, for other groups that also do work on issues of technology & copyright law.

Business Software Alliance (BSA)
BSA represents the interests of the computer software and electronic commerce industries.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
EFF is the leading nonprofit organization defending digital civil liberties in the digital world. Issues they work on include privacy, free expression, and innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism, and technology development. They "work to ensure that rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as our use of technology grows."
TechAmerica
TechAmerica is a trade association that represents the interests of the information technology industry.
Software & Information Industries Association (SIIA)
SIIA represents the interests of the software and digital content industry.

Professional Associations (Legal)

American Bar Association - Section of Intellectual Property Law
This section is the largest intellectual property organization in the world and advances "the development and improvement of intellectual property laws and their fair and just administration."
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
National Bar Association of lawyers involved in the practice of intellectual property law.

Other Groups & Resources

Copyright Clearance Center
CCC licenses reproduction rights for electronic and print content and collects license fees for use of that content.
Copyright Society of the U.S.A.
Advances "the study of copyright law and related rights" across all media.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a project that authors protect and share their works with alternative copyright licenses.
Berkman Center for Internet & Society (Harvard University)
Research center that studies the Internet and application of law to cyberspace.
Techdirt
The Techdirt blog offers news & analysis on a number of issues involving the intersection of law, government policy, and technology. See posts tagged with "copyright".
Lumen
Formerly known as "Chilling Effects Clearinghouse," Lumen is an independent research project from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University studying cease and desist letters. concerning online content
Public Knowledge: Copyright Reform
An advocacy group that "promotes freedom of expression, an open Internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works." Focuses on issues at the intersection of copyright, telecommunications, and Internet
law.
UNESCO Collection of National Copyright Laws
Comprehensive collection of copyright laws from UNESCO Member States.
Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center
This site contains a lot of useful, easy-to-understand information on copyright law and how it applies to libraries and education.
Center for the Study of the Public Domain (Duke Law)
The center promotes scholarship on the public domain (i.e., materials not protected by intellectual property law and free to use) and how it contributes to art, science, and culture.
Knowledge Ecology International
KEI is a not-for-profit non governmental organization focused on the management of knowledge resources, including patent & copyright law and policy. KEI is "focused on social justice, particularly for the most vulnerable populations, including low-income persons and marginalized groups."

Copyright Law Research Guide

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